It’s unusual to see a hurricane warning in January since hurricanes form over warm waters, but Hurricane Alex has formed nonetheless. Hurricane Alex the second tropical storm of its kind to form in the East Atlantic in January. Reports say that after calculating the storm’s maximum sustained winds at 85 mph it was determined a Category 1 hurricane – the strongest ever recorded in the first month of the year, beating both hurricane Alice (1955) and the first storm recorded in 1938.

BREAKING: #Alex is 1st January Atlantic #hurricane since 1955. #Hurricane warnings issued. https://t.co/UkrqZ6Dmco pic.twitter.com/k4mnMwFq3J

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) January 14, 2016

Parts of Portugal’s Azores islands have been placed under hurricane watch with the possibility of flash floods and mudslides. According to the National Hurricane Center, it will deliver 3 to 5 inches of rain with some areas expecting up to 7 inches.

Experts believe Hurricane Alex won’t come anywhere close to the United States, but will pass over the aforementioned islands, including Faial, Pico, Sao Jorge, Graciosa, and Terceira, and follow a path towards Greenland.

hurricane alex

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